the two very important acts, the Statute of Westminster the First, and the grant of the custom on wool, woolfells, and leather.

I. The parliament itself contained, as stated in the preamble of the statute, 'the commonalty of the land,' as well as the prelates and barons: and this expression is further illustrated by the fact that the grant of the custom is said to be made by the communitates as well as by the magnates, and at the instance of the merchants. It would appear almost certain that some representatives of the commons must have been present, but no writs for such attendance are forthcoming: it is possible that the country may have been consulted by special commissioners, or the consent of the commons secured by other means.

II. This is said to be the first general parliament of Edward: it is to be distinguished therefore from the terminal sessions for judicial business which, during this reign, are also called parliaments, but the business of which was conducted by the king's ordinary council.

III. The statute is said to be made by the king, 'par son conseil, e par le assentement des Erceveskes,' &c., a form which seems to show an intentional deviation from the proper 'consilio et consensu.' In this substitution of concilium for consilium lurks probably the principle that the king could enact on his own authority the principle of the Roman and later feudal lawyers, who were at this time getting a firm grasp on the law of England. Historically, it is to such a period as this that the king's power of ordaining in his own council, as distinct from enacting with counsel and consent of parliament, must be traced. The use of the French language by Edward I, a curious feature in a policy essentially English, is also traceable to the lawyers, and perhaps to the influence of the law schools of the Continent.

IV. The wool, the staple produce of England, had been a coveted object of taxation early in the century: large quantities of it had been seized for Richard's ransom in 1194, and by the barons in 1264, and it was in many ways peculiarly amenable to royal exaction. We have now the first indication of legislative

enactment touching it. The custom, although heavy, seems to have been granted to the crown in a way that was for the time constitutional; and the royal attempts to increase it illegally were stoutly resisted. It was not sufficient to satisfy the king's necessities at the time. Another parliament was held in the autumn of 1275, in which the first grant of a fifteenth of moveables was made on behalf of the community by the whole baronage, including the prelates, but not affecting purely ecclesiastical revenue, which did not come under the head of mobilia.

I. Statute of Westminster the First.

Ces sunt les Establisemenz le Rey Edward le fiuz le Rey Henry, fez a Weymoster a son primer parlement general apres son corounement apres la cluse Paske lan de son regne tierz, par son conseil e par le assentement des Erceveskes, Eveskes, Abbes, Priurs, Contes, Barons, et la Communaute de la tere ileokes

somons.

XXXVI. Pur ceo que avaunt ces ures ne fut unkes resonable aide a fere fiuz Chivalers, ou a filles marier, mise en certein, ne quant ele devoit estre prise, ne quel houre, par quei les uns leverent outraiouse aide plus tost que ne sembloit mester, dont le pople se senti grevee; purveu est que desoremes de fee de Chivaler entier solement seient donez vint souz, e de vint liveres de tere tenues par socage vint souz, e de plus plus, e de meins meins, solum le afferaunt; e que nul ne puisse lever tiel aide de fere son fiuz Chivaler taunt que son fiuz seit de age de quinze aunz, ne a sa fille marier taunt que ele seit de age de set aunz; et de ceo serra fet mencion en la brief le rey forme sur ceo, quant il le veille demaunder.

TRANSLATION.

These be the Acts of King Edward, son to King Henry, made at Westminster at his first parliament general after his coronation, on the Monday of the Easter Utas, the third year of his reign, by his council and by the assent of archbishops, bishops, abbots, priors, earls, barons, and the community of the realm being thither summoned.

XXXVI. Forasmuch as before this time reasonable aid to make one's son knight or to marry his daughter was never put in certain, nor how much should be taken, nor at what time, whereby some levied unreasonable aid, and sooner than seemed necessary, whereby the people were sore grieved; it is provided that from henceforth of a whole knight's fee there be taken but xx. s. and of xx. pound land holden in socage xx. s.; and of more more and of less less after the rate. And that none shall levy

such aid to make his son knight until his son be fifteen years of age, or to marry his daughter until she be of the age of seven years; and of that there shall be made mention in the king's writ formed on the same, when any will demand it. -Statutes of the Realm, i. 26, 35.

II. Grant of Custom on Wool, Woolfells, and Leather.

Omnibus Christi fidelibus ad quos praesens scriptum pervenerit Willelmus de Valencia comes Penbrok, salutem in Domino. Cum archiepiscopi, episcopi, et alii praelati regni Angliae, ac comites, barones, et nos et communitates ejusdem regni ad instantiam et rogatum mercatorum pluribus de causis unanimiter concesserimus magnifico principi et domino nostro carissimo domino Edwardo Dei gratia regi Angliae illustri, pro nobis et haeredibus nostris, dimidiam marcam de quolibet sacco lanae et dimidiam marcam pro singulis trescentis pellibus lanutis quae faciunt unum saccum, et unam marcam de qualibet lesta coriorum, exeuntibus regnum Angliae et terram Walliae, percipiendas de cetero in singulis portubus Angliae et Walliae tam infra libertates quam extra : nos ad requisitionem et instantiam praedictorum mercatorum concedimus, pro nobis et haeredibus nostris, quod idem dominus rex et haeredes sui in singulis portubus nostris in Hibernia, tam infra libertates nostras quam extra, habeant dimidiam marcam de quolibet sacco lanae et dimidiam marcam de singulis trescentis pellibus lanutis quae faciunt unum saccum, et unam marcam de qualibet lesta coriorum exeuntibus terram Hiberniae, percipiendam per manus custodum et ballivorum ipsius regis, salva nobis forisfactura illorum qui sine licentia et waranto ipsius domini regis per litteras suas patentes sigillo suo ad hoc proviso signatas, hujusmodi lanas, pelles, seu coria, per feoda nostra ubi libertates habemus extra Hiberniam ducere praesumpserint. De quibus dictus dominus rex et haeredes sui percipient et habebunt dimidiam marcam de lanis et pellibus et unam marcam de lestis coriorum in forma praedicta; ita tamen quod in singulis portubus nostris ubi brevia praedicti domini regis non currunt, eligantur duo de discretioribus et fidelioribus hominibus portuum illorum, qui praestito sacramento de lanis pellibus et coriis in dictis portubus arestandis quousque mercatores lanarum, pellium et coriorum praedictorum, warantum suum inde sub sigillo domini regis ad hoc proviso habuerint, dictam consuetudinem fideliter colligant et recipiant ad opus ipsius domini regis et sibi inde respondeant. In cujus rei testimonium praesenti scripto sigillum nostrum apposuimus. Datum in generali parliamento praedicti domini

regis apud Westmonasterium, die Dominica in festo Sancti Dunstani episcopi anno regni ejusdem regis tertio.-(Parliamentary Writs, i. 2.)

A.D. 1277. SUMMONS TO AN ECCLESIASTICAL COUNCIL.

The following series of documents shows the growth of the representative system in the construction of Church Councils during this century:

1. A summons by Archbishop Langton of the bishops, deans of cathedrals, archdeacons, abbots, and conventual priors.

2. A summons by the same archbishop, directing, in addition to the above, the presence of proctors for the chapters of the collegiate churches and for the monasteries.

Both these are for ecclesiastical business only.

3. A summons by Archbishop Boniface, directing the presence of bishops, deans, abbots, and priors; and of the archdeacons with letters of proxy from the clergy of their archdeaconries.

4. A summons by Archbishop Kilwardby, directing the bishops to bring with them three or four of their greater clergy.

The presence of proctors of the parochial clergy, although such proctors were present in the parliament of 1255, is not yet regarded as an indispensable part of an ecclesiastical assembly.

5. A mandate addressed by Archbishop Kilwardby to the Bishop of London as dean of the province, directing him to summon the bishops of the province, with the greater members of their chapters, the archdeacons and the proctors of the clergy.

None of these writs corresponds exactly with the summons to convocation in its modern sense.

I. A.D. 1225. Summons to a Council of Bishops.

STEPHANUS Dei gratia Cantuariensis archiepiscopus totius Angliae primas et sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalis, venerabili fratri E. eadem permissione Londoniensi episcopo, salutem in Domino. Fraternitati vestrae mandamus quatenus omnes suffraganeos nostros vocetis, ut veniant Londonias in crastino Epiphaniae Domini, et vocent decanos cathedralium ecclesiarum et archidiaconos suos, abbates etiam et priores conventuales, ut similiter Londonias veniant, audituri mandatum domini papae, termino memorato. Hujus igitur auctoritate mandati vobis mandamus quatenus dictis die et loco secundum formam praescriptam compareatis. Vos igitur secundum formam praescriptam praesentiam vestram dictis die et loco exhibeatis. Valete. (Wilkins, Concilia, i. 602.)

II. A.D. 1225. Summons to a Convocation of the Prelates, Archdeacons, and collegiate and monastic Clergy.

Mandamus vobis quatenus pro officii vestri debito faciatis vocari omnes episcopos, abbates non exemptos a nobis, et omnes priores et omnes decanos cathedralium ecclesiarum et praebendalium, et omnes archidiaconos; et significetis singulis capitulis ut mittant procuratores tam videlicet ecclesiarum cathedralium quam praebendalium et monasteriorum et aliarum domorum religiosarum ac collegiatarum, in virtute obedientiae et sub poena suspensionis eis districtius injungentes, ut intersint Londoniensi concilio, quod erit Dominica post Pascha, qua cantatur Misericordia Domini; et significetis omnibus praedictis ut intersint, deliberent, et plene instructi venirent ad respondendum nuncio domini papae super petitione ex parte domini papae, et hoc faciant omni occasione et dilatione postpositis. Ut autem sciatis qui sint abbates exempti a nobis, eos vobis duximus nominandos; videlicet abbas Sancti Albani, abbas Westmonasterii, abbas Sancti Edmundi, abbas Sancti Augustini Cantuariensis. Hujus igitur auctoritate mandati vobis mandamus quod dictis die et loco praefato intersitis concilio; omnes insuper superius nominatos secundum formam ejusdem mandati vocandos citari faciatis, ut sub poena superius expressa plene instructi, eisdem die et loco praefato intersint concilio.-(Wilkins, Concilia, i. 602.)